


Fireworks

by ForeverAlone5



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Adopting A Dog Together, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Genderfluid Character, Genderfluid Roman, Homophobic Character, Homophobic Language, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Logan, Pining, Sexist Comments, Sickfic, Trans Male Character, Trans Virgil, Two Idiots Who Want To Get Together, Vomiting, minor homophobia, minor vomit mention, some sexism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 07:12:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17239775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForeverAlone5/pseuds/ForeverAlone5
Summary: For years, Roman had had difficulty living their truth. After meeting Patton and the others, she found it much easier to deal with it. Until he fell in love with Patton. And now she’s in love with the man, feeling like he was pining his life away. When they needed a date to her family Christmas party, who better than his crush, Patton?





	Fireworks

Roman did not expect to be awoken so early in the morning with a crash and bang. He jerked awake suddenly, disoriented at the darkness in his room and being awakened early.

Groaning awake, Roman squinted from the dark, making out a vague figure. “W’azzit?” He slurred out, still not able to comprehend so early in the morning.

“Roman!” cried a quiet squeal. Blearily, Roman could make out the blob of his roommate’s, Patton, form.

He grunted, falling back onto the bed.

There was a huff, and Roman yelped when a sudden bounce and weight was on his body. He shot up, “What!”

“Roman, it’s December 1st!” Patton’s excited cry bludgeoned through a tiny bit more, and Roman hummed.

“That’s nice, Pat…” he trailed off, the last vestiges of sleep calling to him.

Another irritated huff, and Roman’s warm cocoon of blankets were yanked away from him, leaving him in the cold.

“What the fuck!” He cried, sitting up in annoyance. “Patton, what are you doing waking me up-” he looked at the clock, “- at four in the morning?”

  
“It’s December 1st, Roman,” Patton said gleefully, and his green eyes still shone in excitement in the dark, “And that means it’s officially time for Christmas!”

“Patton,” Roman said slowly, “it is four o’clock in the morning, and I still have classes this entire week. When we’re on vacation, then you can wake me up at this godforsaken time, got it?”

Patton pouted, “Fine, I’ll wait. This time.”

He left in a huff, and Roman didn’t even give himself time to think about the ominous statement. He fell back on his bed with a soft thud, pulled up the blankets Patton pulled off and went to sleep, dreaming of sugarplums and dancing fairies and over-excited roommates.

* * *

 

Roman woke up begrudgingly, the blare of the alarm jackhammering into her skull. She turned over, dragging a pillow over her head to muffle the noise.

It was a she day, and she did _not_ want to get up.

When the alarm continued to go off, she groaned, “Alright, alright. I’m coming, jackass.”

Roman grumbled, dragging her body out of bed and nearly threw her phone at the wall to turn it off.

Sighing, Roman made her way over to the bathroom to start the day. She carefully put in her contacts, fixed her hair and briskly took a shower, brushing his teeth as well, remembering to slip on her pronoun necklace.

Moments later, she walked out, feeling as rejuvenated as a baby. She hummed, skipping out of the bathroom to change.

Pulling out some jeans, a red and white bomber sequined with the word ‘princess’ on her back (because a prince or princess has got to slay) and a blue long-sleeved shirt, Roman felt ready to start the day.

Her hand went to the doorknob, and she opened it, immediately smelling the sweet gingerbread and cinnamon.

Smiling, Roman bounced toward the kitchens, singing, “Good morning, my friends~!”

There was a grunt of acknowledgement, and she looked over to see a dark flop of hair and clothes slumped over on the kitchen table. She smirked, shaking her head and ruffled the mop of hair.

The form, Virgil, groaned in annoyance but didn’t otherwise resist the sign of affection. There was a whir of a machine, and Roman spun around to see a stiff Logan standing by the coffee machine.

“Greetings, my friends!” Roman said splenderifically.

Logan grunted what could be interpreted as a greeting, while Virgil just groaned again. Roman smiled, gladly making herself another cup of coffee.

She stirred sugar into her hot drink, “And how are you gentleman and gentlethem today?”

“Can it, Princess Unenchanting,” Virgil grumbled. “Some of us still need to sleep.”

“But you're already awake.”

“Fuck off,” Virgil said, burrowing into his crossed arms.

“You're not wearing your binder to sleep again, are you?” Logan asked, scribbling one-handedly in a notebook while pouring a cup of coffee with the other.

Virgil murmured a negative sound, pulling his hood over his head until no one could even see his hair.

Roman rolled her eyes, but she moved to Logan who seemed to have a semblance of consciousness, “And you, my friend? How are you this lovely morning?”

“Extremely busy, Ro,” they said, grumbling. They snapped their notebook closed with finality, “Now if you will excuse me, I shall be spending my day planning and doing homework.”

“It's break, you nerd!” she called at their retreating back.

Giggling at Logan's… unsavoury action, she turned back at Virgil and took a sip of her coffee.

The house was quiet… too quiet. They were missing a certain person.

“I'm home!”

Roman choked on her sip of coffee at the loud proclamation. There was the someone. “Hey, Pat,” she choked out.

The door slammed shut, and Roman winced. There was a grunt, and Roman perked up, wondering what was causing Patton to sound exhausted.

“Patty, do you need any help?”

“I'm good!”

Something fell to the ground.

“Still good!”

Roman hid a fond smile as she took another sip of her drink.

Patton stumbled through the doors, cheeks flushed red and a bright smile on his face. “Hel _lo_ , Roman!”

“Hey, Patty,” Roman's lips curled up into a fond smile at her friend.

“A princess day?” Patton asked, taking note of her necklace, hazel eyes flitting up to her own green.

She nodded, “What did you do that made that thump?”

Patton froze, smile nearly slipping off his face. “Er- nothing!”

Roman quirked an eyebrow, drawling, “Nothing. Really?”

“Yep! So glad you understand, Ro!”

There was a yip in the living room, and Roman's eyebrow raised even higher. There was a guilty smile on Patton face, brightness in his eyes.

“PATTON DOROTHY HARTE!” Logan's voice bellowed from the living room.

“Eep!” Patton squeaked and hid behind Roman's back. The height difference allowed for him to easily hide behind her back, grabbing the back of her jacket.

Normally, she would be furious at someone messing with or even touching her clothes. Yet, this time she couldn’t find any reason to be mad.

A continuous stomping alerted the two of them of Logan's warpath. He slammed the kitchen door open, and Patton bunched his hands into Roman's jacket, stifling giggles.

“What. Is the meaning of this?” Logan asked, blue eyes fiery with anger. They were holding up a Bernese Mountain puppy. The easily excitable dog was yelping and trying to lick their face, and Logan was holding the pup as far away from them as they could.

“Seems like a dog, Lo,” Roman said nonchalantly, sipping her coffee to hide her growing smile. It was a fruitless attempt as Logan gave her an unimpressed stare.

“Have you seen Patton?”

“‘Course I have, he said hi to me earlier.”

“Can you tell me where he is now?”

“I don’t know, _can_ I?”

There was a muffled laugh from behind her, and Roman felt the smirk grow on her face.

Logan’s face grew red, their ire getting to them. “Now listen here-!” they took a deep breath, “Ro, you know our lease does not allow for pets. You should not be allowing for Patton to entertain any of those fanciable thoughts.”

Roman made an offended noise, “You know that I am _only_ fanciable and imaginative and creative and-”

“Stupid?” they muttered under their breath, rolling their eyes.

“Stupid. I-hey. I am not!”

“If you shall not inform me of Patton’s whereabouts, then I _will_ return this… creature right this instant.”

“Wait!” Patton shot out from behind Roman’s back, snatching the puppy before Logan could do anything. “The lease only applies to pets. If we can train her to be a service dog, then we’ll be able to keep her.”

“Patton-”

“I know, service dogs shouldn’t be exploited for that. But hear me out!”

Logan was about to speak, their mouth open to say another word. They closed it, twisting their lip in thought. Sighing, they waved their hand for him to continue.

“Virgil’s anxiety and my depression, though is properly managed, can still be really bad, and when we have panic attacks alone, it’s even worse. Getting her to be trained to be our service dog will benefit us in the end. And if we get a dog in the meantime, well….”

Logan looked between Patton’s pleading pout, and the puppy’s happy expression. They sighed, shaking their head resignedly, “Fine, but you shall be the one to train her. All responsibility shall rely solely on you.”

Patton dropped the puppy into Roman’s arms sloppily, and she fumbled to catch the dog and steady her drink without spilling. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lo!!!” he cried excitedly, picking them up in his arms and spinning them back and forth in glee.

It was a humourous sight, a man nearly half the height of the other gleefully lifting them up by their waist. Both of their combined weight nearly made them drop backwards to Patton’s shoulders. Roman hid a laugh beneath black fur.

“Of- course- but- Patton- I can- not- breathe-” they choked out, a pink and purple tinge on their face, blue eyes nearly going cross-eyed.

“Oh! Sorry, Lo,” he set them down gently. Logan doubled over gasping out harsh breaths. “I’m really sorry, Lo.”

They waved away his concern, standing up vertically. Straightening their red tie, they coughed slightly, “So long as you remember _not_ ,” here they shot him a dark look, “to pick me up and hug me again, all shall be well. That creature is _your_ responsibility now, Patton, don’t screw it up.”

Patton gave them a cheery salute, “Aye, aye, Cap’n!”

“I am not capable of steering a ship.”

“Joking, Lo.”

They paused, “Ah, of course. I shall take my leave if there aren’t anymore… unwanted incidents.”

Patton only smiled angelically, and Logan shook their head with a reluctant smile and left the kitchens.

“Oh! Isn’t this exciting, Ro?” Patton squealed, hugging her and the puppy between them. His eyes were brighter than usual, and his grin was split across his face.

“Yeah, but Pat,” Patton looked up at her questioningly, “how are we gonna tell Virgil?”

There was a snort, and the two turned to see the aforementioned man look up, blinking in confusion. “Huh? What? Did someone say my name?”

Roman and Patton glanced at each other before bursting out into laughter.

Virgil looked between them in confusion, “Why are you two holding a dog?”

* * *

 

The puppy, now named Daisy, became a permanent fixture in the four’s lives. Virgil had been wary at first, having the dog spring up on him so suddenly was not a dealbreaker for him.

However, after a few weeks he started to warm up to the growing pupper, to the point where the black dog was always at his side, fur starting to brush up at his knees.

Patton didn’t mind, he was glad that Virgil was getting some tender, loving care from others, even if it was a dog.

Never mind the fact that the dog was meant for the both of them, even Roman or Logan if needed. And it wasn’t like he _really_ needed her. He was doing just fine.

Patton sneezed, an echoing sound, and it made his headache pound even worse. He rubbed his temples in a futile attempt at maintaining his temper.

The day had started out okay; the headache he woke up with hadn’t been so bad, so he didn’t think to take any medication. Then he went to work.

Every passing hour there was a complaint from a customer or a question or a rebuke from his boss. And he could feel the growing migraine from between his eyes throb in pain.

Coming home had been a blessing in disguise… until it transformed into a curse.

The next door neighbors’ children started crying up a storm, each shriek making his head want to explode, drilling into the sides of his head. He wanted to die right there, the pain near unbearable.

He covered his ears, muffling the noises, and screwed his eyes shut. His bedroom was right next to the neighbors’, and he couldn’t go to any of the others’ rooms. The living room was his next best option, and even then the wailing could be heard through the thin walls.

“Pat-re?” someone’s quiet whisper slithered its way to him, and he whined, not wanting to uncover his ears to the blaring world.

There was a muffled sigh, and Patton felt as a blanket enveloped him. He snuffed out a sniffle, sneezing quietly again.

The warmth was seeping into his body, and it made him feel woozy. Arms wrapped around him, and then he was being lifted up into the air.

Patton pawed at the person, feeling slightly suffocated before settling when he was shifted into a more comfortable position, the underneath of his knees and his arms being supported.

“Oh, Patton,” the name was uttered gently, fondly, as if he was something to be revered, “you’re burning up.” He whined in response, snuggling closer to the broad chest in content.

The buzzing in his head quieted somewhat, a slight hum that was much more manageable as he reveled in the feeling of security. Patton could hear purring, and it took him a moment to realize the sound was emanating from him.

His dignity didn’t matter anymore, all he wanted was to be taken care of, someone to snuggle with right now. So he only hugged the person closer to his chest, muffling the noises and murmuring soft, content noises.

Then he was laid onto something soft, another blanket draping over him, and glasses being plucked off his face. He whined when the arms started to unravel from him, pulling the arms back.

There was a deep chuckle, “Patton, I need to get you some meds or at least water.”

“Noooooo!” he whimpered again when the arms were insistently pulling away from him.

“Patton,” his name was said firmly, and he whined again.

A sigh this time, “I’ll be right back, I swear on my honour.”

Patton only let go with a huff and pout, snuggling back into the blanket warmth.

***

It was hazy.

That was the only way Patton could describe it. Everything was blurry, and spots were dancing pirouettes behind his closed eyelids.

He groaned, rolling on his front. The blanket followed him, tangling in between his legs. He huffed, lifting his head up, and immediately regretting it afterwards.

His headache came back with a vengeance, throbbing and drilling into his skull. Spots danced in his vision, black and gold and spotty.

He could tell that he was in his room though, that was for certain. His baby puppy curtains could be clearly seen even with his horrible vision. The garish pink paint of his walls were practically blaring at him.

Huffing, Patton attempted to unravel from the cocoon of blankets and pillows surrounding him, only succeeding in tangling him even more. The change in position made him want to throw up, headache proceeding to worsen with every passing second.

The door quietly clicked open, a rustle of something reaching Patton’s ears. A pause. Then a soft sigh.

“Oh, Patton,” the voice again, only this time Patton could tell that it was Roman saying his name oh, so fondly.

Something about Roman’s voice made his heart flip and his body tremble.

“Here we go,” soft, soft hands gently manoeuvred him back into a prone position. The blanket was pulled off his head, and he blinked once, twice, three times before it centred on the man smiling softly down at him, seeing the pronoun necklace clear as day.

“Hey, sleepy-head. Feeling any better?”

Patton screwed up a smile, “Never better, kiddo! Thanks for tucking me into bed. It must’ve been a stomach bug or something. But now I’m never _bedder_!”

  
Roman’s lips twitched before pulling down into a frown, “Patton, I saw you whimpering in pain on the coffee table. Your face was flushed and sickly pale. You’re not fine.”

Panicking, Patton plastered on a bigger smile. “‘Course I am, Roman. Just let me-”

He was pushed back down onto the mattress before he even had the chance of getting himself upright. Frowning, he tried again only to get the same result with a flat stare from Roman.

“Now see here, Roman-”

“The only thing you’ll be doing is recovering. You aren’t going to be doing anything else except taking my tender, loving care!”

Patton flushed before sneezing loudly, “You don’t have to do that for me, kiddo-”

“I know I don’t, but guess what?”

The other man stayed stubbornly quiet, arms crossed and head turned away. He threw his head back as he sneezed even louder. Sniffling, he groaned in pain.

Roman only sighed, turning to grab a pill, water bottle and tissue, “I _want_ to. Now stay here and take this medicine. It should help you.”

He immediately grabbed the tissue, blowing his nose obnoxiously. Throwing that away, hazel eyes flickered up to meet Roman, uncertainty was shadowed on his face and hair falling to cover his face. He sneezed again and Patton’s headache started to come back with a vengeance.  
  
Roman didn’t back down, staring expectantly at Patton, eyes kind and patient. Slowly, oh, so slowly, Patton reached out and grabbed the proffered items.

There was only silence as Roman watched to make sure that Patton took the medicine, smiling when he did.

Patton grimaced at the taste before trying to hand the bottle of water back to Roman. The pill didn’t do much, but it made him want to throw up less.

“No, you’ll need to finish the rest of that bottle tonight along with another one after it. Staying hydrated is important, or at least that’s what I heard.”

Patton rolled his eyes, looking Roman square in the eyes before downing the rest of the water in one go. Roman barked out a small laugh, “Fair enough, darling. Give me that.”

He froze at that nickname, but it didn’t seem that Roman noticed anything. Roman was just in one of his flirty moods. That was it, nothing else. It _couldn’t_ mean anything else, right?

“Let me just-” Roman tucked the blankets in around Patton until he almost felt like he was suffocating. Patton didn’t protest, feeling too exhausted to do anything in response.

Roman didn’t leave, settling down next to the blanket covered man and getting comfortable. He started to sing, soft and sweet. A melody that didn’t have any particular meaning but a hypnotic rhythm and words.

After a while, the warmth started to get to him, mind going slightly hazy. The song was enchanting, soft and lulling him to a deeper sleep. His eyes were lidded close and then a familiar chuckle.

“Sweet dreams, my prince.”

Patton murmured incoherently, falling into a sweet, black abyss.

***

Fortunately, Patton got better in less than two days.

Unfortunately, it seemed Roman went under the following day.

Roman sneezed loudly, their headache worsening. Hunching over, they vomited into the porcelain bowl.

“Oh, it snot _so_ bad, kiddo,” Patton chirped, rubbing Roman’s back in comfort and holding their hair back.

“Says you,” they dry-heaved. “You weren’t the one vomiting every other second.”

“Puke-cisely, but you’ll get better. After all, I’ve gotta return the favour.”

“What-?” they vomited into the toilet. Accepting the napkin, they wiped their mouth then threw it away. “What favour?”

“I had such a good carer, now it’s my turn!”

Roman looked up to Patton’s beaming face, a soft smile breaking out in kind. “O-okay, Pat, but you don’t ha-”

“But I _want_ to,” the hazel-eyed man said slyly, and Roman shook their head, conceding.

“Y-” gagging slightly, “you win. Subject me to your will.”

Giggling, Patton handed them a pill and water. “Oh, it’s nothing like that. Just a bit of tender, loving care, medicine and some cookies, and you’ll be right as rain!”

Roman snatched the items out of his hands, swallowing the pill and washing it and the disgusting taste out of their mouth of vomit down with the rest of the water.

They flushed the toilet and tried to stand up, finding their legs too weak and wobbling.

Without a word, Patton scooped them up in his arms. An impressive feat since they were two heads taller than him.

Roman cuddled right into the warmth, yawning, “This-this is nice.”

Patton giggled, smiling fondly at the dozing person in his arms. With a whisper, he kissed their burning forehead, “So are you. Especially you.”

* * *

 

“Fuck!”

Logan sighed, looking over the cover of their book as the other paced back and forth, “What is it this time, Roman?”

They were sitting at a cafe, reading their last book of the seven they had brought. If Roman didn’t choose something soon, Logan might kill him.

“I still don’t know what to get Patton,” he said, running a hand through his hair repeatedly. He sighed in aggravation, hugging his arms close to his chest. The red sweater that he was wearing suddenly didn’t feel soft and warm anymore.

“We are already at the mall, Roman, do you not think it already late to be having this particular dilemma?”

“I _had_ something an hour ago,” he said, “but now I don’t think it’s right for him.”

Logan pinched the bridge of their nose, “Roman, it has been five hours. Please, for the love of God, choose something.”

“But it has to be perfect!” Roman protested, throwing his arms out and nearly hitting a tall man with bright green hair in the face. Roman shot him an apologetic smile, and the man only shook his head with a roll of his eyes.

“Patton will love anything you get him,” Logan said, eyes returning back to their book. “But it has been so long. Either choose a present or make your own.”

Roman’s eyes lit up, starry-eyed. “That’s it!”

“What now?”

“I’ll make him something! Something special, something wonderful like him.” Roman sighed a little, sinking into the chair across from Logan with a dreamy look in his eyes.

“And what do you suppose you’ll do?” Logan asked in amusement. They adjusted their glasses with a fond, exasperated smile.

“A scrapbook!” Roman exclaimed, standing up suddenly with the chair scooting harshly back, “Pictures of all of us together to remember the good times.”

“But how shall you court Patton if the pictures were not of just the two of you?”

“Court? Patton? Court?!” Roman yelped, flinching back as if he had been burned.

Logan only gave him their best deadpan stare. “How long have the two of you been dancing about each other? Honestly, Virgil and I got together faster than the two of you, and he had bet that you would get together first.”

“Is it really that obvious?” Roman asked, red-faced and rubbing the back of his neck. He ducked his head when they only stared flatly at him.

“He’s just so lovely and nice and kind and positive and… just perfect,” Roman sighed dreamily, sinking back down.

“I did not come here to listen to you ramble about Patton.”

“Then why did you come with?”

“I didn’t,” he said. “I said I was going to the grocery store when you suddenly called ‘shotgun’ and raced to my car.”

“Oh yeah,” Roman said thoughtfully, “I did do that, didn’t I?”

Logan snapped their book shut, adjusting their tie and beanie. “Shall we leave the premises?”

“Yeah,” Roman said excitedly, ideas blooming in his head. “I need to start scrapbooking.”

* * *

 

“Oh God, oh God, oh God. What do I do!” Patton asked frantically.

“Pat,” Virgil said.

Patton didn’t respond, continuing instead to pace, “He’s just so perfect and beautiful and creative and I’m running out of things to say, but he’s perfect.”

“Pat-”

“And anything I do’ll just pale in comparison to his or any gift, really. And-and-and-!”

“Patton!” Virgil interjected, grabbing the other man’s shoulders. “Stop, you’re overthinking this. Who are you, me?” He offered a small smile to Patton, relieved when Patton chuckled slightly.

Gently, Virgil steered Patton to sit down on his bed, the purple blankets sticking out against the bright blue skirt. Patton crossed his ankles, a pout forming on his face.

Virgil laid against the headboard, arms behind his head, “Anyway, Roman will love y- er anything you do because it’s you! You’re everyone’s favourite, including mine.”

“Aw shucks, kiddo,” Patton blushed, ducking his head with a smile. “You’re as sweet as a cookie.”

“Bleck,” Virgil blanched. “Okay, enough with the sappiness. I’m not Roman, though I bet you wish I was,” he muttered the last part under his breath.

“What was that, kiddo?” Patton asked.

“Nothing!” Virgil cleared his throat. “I mean why not bake something for him?”

“That’s not good enough!” Patton protested. “I always bake. I wanna do something new, something exciting! Like him!”

“Write him a poem.”

“Aw, that’d be sweet!” Patton gushed, clapping his hands together and putting them on his face. A plan started to form in his mind, “Oh!”

Virgil smirked, crossing his arms. “Figure something out?”

“Yep!” Patton bounced up, kissing Virgil’s forehead, and leaving. “You’re the best!”

Shaking his head, Virgil pulled out his phone. He pressed a few buttons, waiting for the dial tone to clear up. “Hey nerd. How’s shopping with the love-sick idiot?”

 _“Horrible. I have been stuck here for five hours, Virgil._ Five hours. _If that idiot does not choose something soon, I swear I might strangle him.”_

“Aw, poor Logan,” Virgil snickered. “You’re the one who wanted to go out shopping.”

_“Falsehood, I merely wanted to go buy some more Crofters. But that dim-witted moron dived into the front seat of my car.”_

“Is he any closer to figuring it out?”

 _“No!”_ Logan cried out in aggravation, _“And I know that it shall be another hour until he does because he’s still pacing and not buying!”_

“You’ll get home, promise.”

Logan sighed, _“Apologies, beloved. My anger got the better of me.”_

“You’re fine. I’m pretty sure I would’ve at least killed him at the second hour mark. I applaud you for your strength.”

 _“You have my gratitude, Virgil,”_ Logan said flatly as Virgil broke out into raucous laughter.

“Jeez, how long until they get their heads out of their asses, d’ya think?”

_“Considering it has been four years, I feel it is safe to say no.”_

“Were we ever that oblivious?”

“I would like to say no, but,” Logan sighed, _“I sincerely doubt that we were any different. Oh, Virgil, I must go, Roman is calling for me.”_

Virgil laughed at the irritation seeping into his boyfriend’s voice, “Bye, babe. Don’t commit any murder without me.”

_“I shall try my best.”_

The phone clicked off, and Virgil smiled fondly as he lowered his phone. He pulled out his laptop, checking his email for the seventh time.

Still no email.

He sighed, hopefully the company would get back to him soon. He had a nerd to propose to.

* * *

 

Roman sliced her finger, “Ouch!” Red bloomed from the cut, and she brought the finger up to her mouth, licking the blood clean.

“Fuck, scrapbooking is hard.” She wrapped a band-aid around her ring finger, wincing at the slight sting.

That had been the last picture she needed to cut at least. Now all she had to do was paste them into the pages.

Roman was proud of all the pictures and doodles in the scrapbook. There was the pink background of the paper, paired with the gold trim of the border. Doodles of puppies and kittens were all over the corners, as well as snacks and cookies.

The front of the book held a huge heart with the words, ‘Patton-ed Memories’ on it in huge, golden curlicue font and lace surrounding all of the edges of the cover.

In all honesty, it should look garish and completely ridiculous. But in a weird sort of way, it was endearing, a cute sort of ugly.

Roman held the case of the book up into the light with a weir sort of pride. The project had taken weeks of planning and agonizing putting together, but now… now she was nearly done.

“Roman~!” Patton sang, opening the door.

She scrambled to swipe the rest of their supplies under a blanket, barely getting the chance to haphazardly hide the present from the receiver.

Patton turned toward her, a giant smile across his face, and Roman could feel her heart pound faster. “How’re ya doin’, champ? Hungry?”

She opened her mouth before her stomach decided to answer for her. Loudly. Blushing, Roman only nodded sheepishly.

Patton had the good grace not to say anything, only offering her a kind and gentle smile. He handed her a plate of sandwiches and crisps.

“Here, I’m sure you’re starved. I know how bready you are for this!” Patton giggled, hazel eyes shimmering with laughter.

Roman sighed, taking the plate from him and setting it aside. “Thank you, kind sir, for nourishing me in my time of need!” She grabbed his hand, kissing the back of it deftly.

Patton blushed, and Roman felt her heart flutter faster at the sight. “O-oh, it’s not a problem, Roman. I jus- I er- I mean- You’re welcome!”

He screeched and ran out the door, yanking his hand back as if he had been burned and leaving Roman standing there confused and a little bit hurt.

_Did I go too far?_

Shrugging, Roman reached to grab her sandwich.

She could deal with that tomorrow. Right now, she needed to finish a scrapbook.

Her stomach growled. After finishing that sandwich.

* * *

 

Logan couldn’t stop laughing, body doubled over and unable to contain themself anymore. Their right hand was banging on the desk, as they rested their head on the other arm, face red in exertion.

Daisy thumped her head against Logan’s thigh, whimpering. She waddled over to Patton, resting her head on his thigh and sighing when he started to pet her head.

Patton was flushed red, embarrassed. He sat on Logan’s bed, knees drawn close to his chest. “Stop laughing!” he whined. “This is a serious situation.”

“Ri- right,” they wheezed out, still doubled over. They straightened, clearing their throat and fixing their tie.

Logan took one look at Patton’s red and embarrassed before doubling over in laughter again.

“Oh, come on!” Patton groaned, burying his head in his crossed arms and knees. His hair fell over his eyes as he glared at the other with a slight pout. “I really need your help, Lo. Stop laughing and _help_ me!”

“Of- of course, Patton,” Logan managed to say between slight chuckles. They fixed their tie again, running a hand through their hair. “Can you run through the dilemma once more for me to have a firmer understanding?”

Patton blew out a harsh breath, lifting his head and fixing the smirking person a glare. “I walked into Roman’s room like I usually do when she’s in her creating moods and gave her some food. And she thanked me like normal. BUT! This time she took my hands and kissed the back of them, like a noble, and I sorta froze and maybe ran out of the room like a dog with their tail on fire…. Which is not a good image, Logan! So can you _please_ help me?”

Daisy whined in agreement, lifting her head and fixing them with a pout and wide eyes.

Logan adjusted their glasses, fixing him with an amused look. “I simply don’t know what you want me to say, Patton. There doesn’t seem to be an issue other than your poor attempt at courting.”

“Oh, like you were any better, Logan Barry,” Patton scoffed. “When Virgil gave you flowers, you stammered there for ten minutes before bolting. Didn’t even give him a chance to give you the flowers.”

They scowled, reaching over to swipe at Patton who ducked. “We agreed that we wouldn’t speak of that.”

“Don’t worry,” Patton smirked deviously. “Virge thought it was cute. Sorry, I meant that _you_ were cute.”

Logan looked ready to retort when their door burst open, a frantic Roman on the other side. Their pronoun necklace swung wildly around their neck, and a panicked expression was on their face.

“What is it, Roman?” Logan’s voice held a tint of annoyance overwhelmed by the concern they held for the other.

“This!” They flung their phone toward Logan who fumbled for two seconds before catching it. They adjusted their glasses with a huff before starting to examine the phone.

“I see nothing wrong with it,” they proclaimed, looking up. Roman had migrated to the bed, facedown with a Patton stroking their hair.

There was a muffled noise, and Logan turned to look at Patton. He smiled kindly with a fond chuckle, “They said that you were supposed to _read_ the text.”

“Oh.” Logan said, glancing down to start reading, “Yes, that does make more sense.”

A moment, “Roman, you’re screwed.”

Roman whined, turning dramatically to their back, an arm over their eyes, and dislodged Patton slightly. “I knooooooow! And what’s worse? I can’t get out of it!”

Patton rearranged himself wordlessly, pulling Roman back into his lap. “Aww, buddy, what’s wrong?”

“My family, that’s what,” they scowled darkly, purring into Patton’s petting.

“I doubt it can’t be that bad,” he said reassuringly.

“Oh, believe me, Patton,” Logan piped up, “it’s that bad.”

“Well, what is it?” Patton asked. “Whatever it is, I-we can surely help!”

“I-”

Logan cut them off, “Actually, Patton, Roman _can_ use your help.”

“Really? I’ll do it!”

They smirked when Roman shot up, “Now, listen here Stars for Brains-”

“Roman, I’m sure you wouldn’t deprive Patton of his desire to help you, would you?” Logan’s grin only widened when Roman didn’t respond, crossing their arms and turning their head with a loud huff.

“Now,” Logan folded their hands into a peak, eyes bouncing with mischief, “Patton, would you like to accompany Roman as their date to their family Christmas party?”

Patton immediately turned red, starting to splutter. “I- I- what? Me? Date? Party? Date?! Them? Date!?!”

“Alas,” Roman sighed, “it seems that I cannot avoid it this time, my friends. My grandmother and aunts are really demanding me to bring someone home this year, and I was not allowed to make any excuses.”

“It doesn’t help that you also said that you were in a relationship either,” Logan said slyly.

“What!” Patton cried as Roman groaned again.

“It was just to get them off my back! I didn’t think that they would take me seriously, or that they would want me to bring him!”

“Date?” Patton asked weakly again, looking flushed.

“Yes, a date.” Roman nodded miserably. “Though you needn’t put yourself out for me, Patton. This is _my_ dilemma, I can easily find an-”

“No!” Patton blurted out, immediately covering his mouth with his hands in shock. “I-I mean that’s alright, kiddo! I’ve already offered, didn’t I? And besides, I always wanted to go to a big Christmas party. We’ll be fine, right?”

“No! I mean- yes! Of course we will,” Roman’s face was scarlet red. The two stared into each other’s eyes, frozen in the moment.

Logan glanced between the two’s besotted faces, rolling their eyes, and cleared their throat. The two snapped out of the moment quickly, adverting eyes and ducking heads.

“Well, now that it seems we’ve reached an accord, will you please get out of my room?”

* * *

 

Roman was buzzing in excitement. And nervous. But mostly excitement!

He glanced over at Patton who was steering the car toward his family Christmas party.

Never mind, he was more nervous.

Patton had turned on the radio, Christmas music playing softly in the car. He started to hum along, grinning when Patton did too.

His voice started to rise and then formed the words, and suddenly he’s singing loudly along to the music, Patton in cue.

He started to laugh and sing, nerves falling behind with every passing second. Roman glanced at Patton, heart beating five times faster and smile ten times wider.

Patton’s cheeks were also red, and his hazel eyes flickered down to Roman’s lips. Roman’s eyes widened slightly, and he flushed even redder.

They leaned ever, so closer.

Closer.

Closer.

There was a loud honk, and the two bumped heads with a twin cries of pain. Patton looked behind, giving the other driver a sheepish smile and took off on the road.

Roman leaned back in his seat. Suddenly his thin, maroon jacket was too thin and too warm for him.

What could that mean? Was Patton attracted to him? Obviously, given how he moved in closer to Roman, and it looked like he was aiming for the lips.

But how could sweet Patton be interested in Roman? Roman knew he was high maintenance at times, definitely more dramatic than needed.

So why did the most wonderful man in the universe look like he wanted to kiss him?

“Roman?” the man in question said softly, “we’re here.”

Roman looked up, noticing the small Christmas lights hung up on his roof. He gave Patton a nervous smile and nodded, wrapping his arms around himself and stepping out cautiously.

“ROMAN!” called a loud and boisterous voice.

He flinched, ducking his head slightly but looked up in time to see his cousin, Linda, run up to him.

She threw her arms around his neck, and he caught her at the last second. “Whoa, Linda, it’s nice to see you too.”

“Lord, it’s been so long,” she drawled, hooking her arm around his and pulling. “We _definitely_ need to catch up.” Roman glanced back at Patton, pleading with him to save him, but Patton only grinned and waved cheekily at him.

Roman answered with a rude gesture as he was tugged into the house against his will.

* * *

 

Patton thought that the party was going great.

The two had apparently gotten there an hour earlier than was needed, so he had offered to help.

The Kingstons declined at first, but he had been persistent and did manage to wear them down enough to help them cook.

Roman’s aunt, Veronica (though she said that he could call her Ronnie), was cutting the vegetables as Patton chopped the meat and cooked it.

“That boy was always a loud one,” she chuckled fondly, shaking her head. “Never liked taking no for an answer. This one time when we were at one of those water parks, and it was time to go. The young’un screamed and started to run down stark naked to the slides again.”

“No!” Patton choked out humorously. “You’ve got to be pulling my leg!”

“No sir,” Ronnie shook her head with an evil sort of smile. “Naked as the day he was born.”

“That must’ve been a difficult time rushing after him.”

“Sure was, it sure was.” She wiped a tear away from her eye, dumping the vegetables in another basket. “You sure are a sweet boy, Patton, any girl would be lucky to have you.”

Patton froze slightly, but didn’t make a comment. Now he understood why Roman was hesitant and so quiet during the car ride.

It was such a turn, seeing the usually so flamboyant and loud person be so meek and quiet. Patton could see why he would dread coming back here.

Though he did have one question, if Roman wasn’t out, then why was Patton here as his date?

The door opened, and Ronnie turned, smiling, “Grandma! How’s it going?”

Patton turned to see a petite woman, smaller than him by a head, stride into the kitchen with her hands clasped tightly behind her back. Her rectangular glasses were glaring down at the two of them, bored and intense at the same time.

Her mix of greying and dark brown hair was tied up in a tight bun. Her face was impassive, harsh and angular. But she bore a remarkable resemblance to Roman. Patton could see the hidden kindness behind the harsh eyes, the same smile lines and nose and lips, the same tan.

“Veronica,” her voice was low and curt, head tilted down slightly in acknowledgement. “It is Grandmother Diana to you.”

Ronnie pouted, leaving the kitchen and giving him a sympathetic smile. Patton silently cursed her for leaving him alone with the stern-looking woman.

She turned to Patton, and he froze, eyes wide. Her glasses tilted down, dark brown eyes feeling like they were going to bore into his soul.”

“And who might you be?”

Patton swallowed, “P-patton Harte, ma’am. I’m Roman’s boyfriend.” He stretched out his hand in front of him in an attempt at courtesy.

Her glasses tinted (and he was reminded acutely of Logan), and suddenly Patton couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Her face held disapproval, and Patton straightened his posture, ready to argue on Roman’s behalf.

She took his proffered hand, shaking it once, twice, three times firmly. “Diana Kingston.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” Patton gave her his politest smile, returning the handshake just as firmly.

She only gave him another appraising look, pulling away just as quickly. Humming, she inspected the cooking food.

“Is this Cioppino?” she asked quietly.

“It’s my favourite Christmas dish,” he said, lighting up. “I know some families make roast or ham or something like that. But this soup is one of my favourites.”

Diana hummed, turning on her heel. “Follow me.”

“I’m sorry, I need to watch the food,” Patton said carefully, watching her spin back to stare at him, still blankly.

“Dedicated.”

Patton smiled briefly, bowing his head and turning back to the food.

“After the celebrations, come find me and bring Roman.”

He whirled around in confusion, but she wasn’t there.

* * *

 

Roman ducked her head as everyone started to scream and speak harshly to each other.

She sat with her other cousins and aunts and uncles, food placed haphazardly on a plate, being pushed around by her fork. Patton was sitting next to her, arm wrapped around her chair and a hand resting lightly on her back.

He had been great, charming her uncles, aunts and cousins. He easily got everybody to smile and laugh with his jokes. Attentive and engaging. He was amazing

But then her dysphoria was starting to get to her. Her chest was too flat, shoulders too broad and face too square. It didn’t help that everyone in her family was still referring to her as a male, even the ones she was out to.

Her chest wanted to explode, breath caught in her throat. The noises was too much, her head was spinning and her vision was starting to have spots. Her heart was beating too fast, a headache forming.

There was a hand on her thigh. And it was too hot! Too much! Her breath started to come out in gasps, short, stuttered puffs of air.

There were hands on her shoulders, lifting her up from her chair. Roman stumbled, hands reaching out blindly.

Her face was hit by cold air, biting at her cheeks. She blinked the spots away from her eyes, focussing on the blurry figure in front of her.

“Are you alright?” Patton asked softly, hands hovering over her in concern but respecting her boundaries.

“I-” her voice cracked, and Roman ducked her head, not trusting herself to speak.

“You’re gonna be alright, Ro,” he whispered kindly, giving her a kind smile.

“No, I’m not,” she sobbed out. “I’m not, I’m not! Everything’s too much. My chest is too tight, I can’t breathe. I just- can’t!”

“Shh, shh,” he soothed, his hand hovered and she nodded curtly. “You’re gonna make it through this whole and healthy. And then when your book is published, you’ll never have to make it through this again.”

She hiccuped a watery laugh, “Th-thanks, Pat.”

“Of course!” He smiled brightly at her, and his hazel eyes were iridescent in the inky black night.

Her breath caught in her chest, and her eyes flickered down to his lips, noticing how he did the same.

They leaned in closer, breaths nearly intermingling, and Roman could feel Patton’s body heat against hers.

“There you two are!” the booming voice of Danny, Roman’s uncle, interrupted the two of them, and they sprang apart as if they were on fire.

Roman stood up, noticing how they were now outside the front of the house, sitting on the kerb.

Danny strutted out the door and down the steps. “What’re you two rascals doing? Looking for some ladies? Well, I’ll tell you now that those missuss are where they’re supposed to be: the kitchen!”

He laughed boisterously as Patton gave him a tight smile, “I’m a chef, sir. My job requires me to be in the kitchen too.”

The strawberry blond man squirmed uncomfortably, “Well, that’s your job. That’s different.”

“Why is it demeaning for a women to be in a kitchen?” He asked innocently, cocking his head to the side and challenging Danny.

Roman hid a smile as she ducked her head.

“I didn’t say that it was demeaning!”

“You implied it,” Patton said simply. “You said that a woman’s place is in the kitchen, meaning that you think that women are here only to serve men. How was that in anyway not demeaning.”

Man, Logan may be the one known as the logical one, the ‘smart’ one, but when it came to rebuking someone, Patton had that on ‘pat’.

“Well- I- er-” Danny sputtered, face turning bright red against the yellow lights of the lamp.

“Women are incredible in their own right and shouldn’t be demeaned as such.”

“I should’ve known you were one of _those_ types,” Danny sneered, spitting at Patton.

“What, nice?” Patton asked rhetorically.

“Gay.”

“So supporting women suddenly makes me gay,” Patton scoffed. “Well, sorry to break it to you, but I’m pansexual. And treating women like people doesn’t make you gay, it means you have empathy.”

“That’s exactly what a pansy like you would say,” Danny said scornfully, eye twitching and nose scrunched up.

“Forget it, no one can get through a thick-headed prick like you.”

Roman’s eyes widened when she heard Patton curse, something that he rarely did. Her lips twitched in gratitude, glad that Patton was her friend.

“Excuse me?” Danny screeched. “Who invited you here anyway? You’re not family.”

“He’s more family than you,” cut in a sharp voice, and the three turned to see Grandmother Diana standing on the front porch.

She was outlined in the yellow light, her figure illuminated and prominent. Her arms were crossed, and her foot was tapping impatiently on the wooden deck.

“What? Grandmother-”

“Go home, Daniel.” Diana snapped, pointing a finger. “I’m tired of your behaviour.”

Danny swallowed, “Yes, Grandmother.” He said meekly, stooping his head and clicking his car keys.

When his tiny car drove out of view, Roman let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

Turning to Patton, she said, “Damn, Patton, I didn’t know you had it in you.”

He flushed beet red, “I didn’t mean to snap at him. I just- he was getting on my nerves, and it just came out.”

“Still,” Roman insisted, “it was pretty awesome! You were like a knight or a prince coming to the damsel’s rescue!”

“I-I guess,” he stammered, smiling shyly at Roman. Roman beamed, taking his hand and kissing the back of it.

“Ahem,” Diana cleared her throat, and the two whirled around, remembering that she was still there.

“If the two of you were done flirting,” she drawled. “I’d like to see the two of you in my room. Now.”

She turned on her heel, not allowing for any argument.

Roman and Patton looked at each other awkwardly, the two feeling as if they had been called to the principal’s office.

“Well… into the dragon cave, I suppose.”

* * *

 

Patton and Roman stood outside Diana’s door, staring at it in trepidation.

“The two of you can come in, you know,” Diana called, “I won’t bite.”

They shared a surprised look before Roman shrugged, gesturing for Patton to go in. He went in cautiously, hand pushing the door open.

The room was not what he had been expecting. He expected something similar to Logan’s, neat, organized, orderly. He hadn’t been expecting a wave of colours and knick-knacks piled high on every available surface.

The paint was a soft yellow, reminiscent of the day with picture frames and paintings adorning every wall.

Diana’s back was to them, “Close the door, Roman, we don’t need any unwanted listeners.”

Roman closed the door.

“I suppose the two of you are wondering why I called you here.” She turned around, a grim look on her face. “I’m dying.”

“WHat!” Roman gasped, hand on her chest. Patton looked equally as shocked, hazel eyes wide.

Diana didn’t say anything for a few seconds before she broke out into raucous laughter. “You- should’ve se- seen the look on your two- faces!”

She doubled over, red-faced in laughter. Roman huffed, “Well, excuse me for worrying about you.”

“I didn’t mean it like that, Ro.” She explained after calming down slightly. Her face was still flushed, but her stern demeanor fell back into place. But I’ve been waiting to use that joke on someone for years, and it was well worth the wait.”

“Still, what a cruel joke to play on your granddau- grandson.” Roman choked out.

Diana gave her a sympathetic look, “Roman, I know you’re a girl now. My eyes might not be what it used to be, but I can still read your necklace from here.”

Roman flushed a bright red, glancing down and squeaking when she noticed the pronoun necklace sitting proudly on her chest. Patton shifted, arm hovering in case they needed a quick escape.

“Don’t worry.” Diana said. “I’m not like those bigoted idiots. I married _into_ this family, any idiot gene they got was from their grandfather.”

Patton snorted, hand covering his mouth to hide his laughter. Diana quirked a smile,  
“See? He gets it.”

“What’d you call us in here for anyway, Grandmother?” Roman asked.

Diana pulled her hair from her bun, letting her luscious hair fall in curls on her shoulders. Roman gasped, pointing and slacked-jawed at the sight in front of her.

“Roman, put your hand down,” Diana scowled as Patton hid a grin. “You needn’t be so dramatic.”

“I don’t know ma’am,” Patton grinned. “Roman seems to be in a _hairy_ situation right now. Doesn’t seem like he’ll be able to _bun_ away.”

Diana laughed, “This boy, keep him, Roman, don’t let him get away.”

“Yes, Grandmother,” Roman squeaked, eyes wide in surprise.

“Now,” Diana said, “I just wanted to give you two these.”

She handed Roman a black velvet box, and she immediately opened it, gasping even louder. “Grandmother, you can’t mean-!”

Roman thrust it back in Diana’s hands right away, and she looked slightly annoyed but she took it.

“I want you two to have those,” she said with a smile. Patton looked over, the two silver or possibly platinum ring bands were encased in the box, and he suddenly felt overwhelmed.

“I know that it may seem a little too soon to be thinking of marriage, but,” Diana looked at the shell-shocked pair, “they can still be promise rings. I’ve seen the look in the both of your eyes, and the love you two share.”

“But Grandmother, these are your and Grandfather’s rings!”

“And we’re giving them to you.”

“Ma’am, we can’t just-”

“Patton, call me Diana.” The woman smiled warmly at him, the hair framing her face and making her eyes seem softer.

“Diana,” Patton amended, “we still can’t-”

“I want you to,” she insisted. “Roman is my favourite-”

“Thank you, Grandmother!”

“Anyway,” she rolled her eyes. “Of all the others, I believe Roman to be… more pleasant than the others.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” Roman muttered under her breath.

“Watch it, young lady,” Diana said sternly.

Roman rolled her eyes, and Patton smiled benighly. “Thank you, Diana, but really-”

“Take it, I’m not taking any answer other than ‘yes, thank you’, understand?” Diana said, brown eyes dancing with mischief.

Roman snatched the box from her grandmother, shoving it in her pocket.

“Alright, Grandmother,” Roman said, suddenly tugging on Patton’s arms. She pulled him out of the room, and Patton turned to wave goodbye frantically until Diana’s smiling face was out of view.

Roman pulled Patton toward the car, sighing. “Alright, I didn’t mean for this to come out this way.”

“Roman, take a deep breath,” Patton soothed, taking her hands. She followed his advice, taking in a deep, shuddering breath. “Now, what did you want to tell me?”

She rubbed the back of her neck, “Er- your Christmas present is in your car. Do you mind-?”

Patton chuckled, pressing his car keys and unlocking the door. Roman beamed, bouncing up and kissing his cheek before opening the car door and rifling through it.

He froze, a hand on his cheek. What could that possibly mean? Roman kissing his cheek? Was that a platonic kiss? But she had done it so many times now….

“Aha!” Roman pulled out a bulky cube shaped present, wrapped beautifully in garish pink wrapping paper. “Here you go, Patty. Merry Christmas!”

“Aw, thank you Roman!” He tore open the present, being careful not to break the present inside.

“Oooh! Roman, this is so cool! It’s such a cute present!” Patton squealed, hugging the scrapbook close to his chest.

“I love the puppies and kitties on the outside! They’re soooo cute!” Patton giggled.

Roman puffed her chest up in pride, “Thanks, it was a little difficult trying to accurately draw the baby puppies- Wait! That’s not what I’m supposed to be showing you. Look! Look inside the pages!”

Patton was all smiles as he cracked open the book, oohing and ahhing and awwing at the pictures and doodles. He laughed at the memories or smiled fondly, reminiscing at the beautiful memories.

He particularly loved the kitten doodles.

When he got to the last page, he stopped short. He read it again and again and again. Patton looked up at Roman in shock.

She smiled sheepishly, “Patton, I’ve been in love with you for nearly six years now, only barely realizing it four years ago. I want to ask you this with great certainty: Can I have a scrap of your heart and be your significant other?”

Patton stared at her, eyes wide and mouth open. There was several long moments before either said anything, and Roman was starting to get anxious.

Then, he placed the scrapbook down gently and launched himself at her, nearly knocking her to her feet.

“Whoa!” She wrapped her arms around him, keeping him secure. He was chanting yes over and over into her shoulder, hugging her tight to him.

After several more enthusiastic chants, Roman set him down, lips twisting into a smile. “Is that a yes then?”

Patton’s only response was to pull her down and plant a harsh kiss on her lips, bruising and claiming- possessive.

“You bet your buns it is,” he said with a smirk after letting her go in a daze.

Roman pulled him flush to her body, then dipped him. He yelped, laughing and hooking his arms around her shoulders. She laid another sweet kiss on his lips, greedily soaking up all his affection and giggles.

After several more breathtaking kisses, the two pulled away, faces flushed and full of glee. Roman was full to bursting with love for this man, something she can finally show in public.

“Aw, but my gift is gonna pale in comparison to yours.” Patton sighed, put out with a small pout.

“Anything that you give me, darling, I’ll cherish,” Roman promised sincerely.

“Aw, okay, but if you don’t like it, then don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Patton pulled out a messily wrapped present. “Here, it’s not as-”

“Hush, my love, I’m opening my present,” Roman cut him off. She undid the overly taped parts, peeling it off carefully.

Unfolding the paper, Roman gasped when she saw the elegantly decorative journal, “Patton, it’s beautiful!”

The journal cover was black, ordained with gold and red borders. A gold dragon stood proudly.

“Open it,” he suggested shyly.

When she did, she gasped loudly again. There were cute, positive messages and small doodles on the outer edges. They looked hand-drawn, something that Patton must’ve taken many hours to do. There were even pages to write in for herself, if she ever needed to write anything.

“Oh my-”

“I’m sorry that it’s not as-”

“Don’t finish that statement, dearest, because this is the best present that I have ever received in my life,” Roman said earnestly, looking deeply into Patton’s eyes. “The doodles, the font, the colour! I love it!”

She glanced slyly at him, setting the journal down. “Though not as much as I love you.”

Roman picked Patton up, twirling around and planting kisses all over his face. He giggled and laughed, doing so in kind to her.

Setting Patton down, she held the velvet box in her hand, eyes questioning. Patton hesitated before nodding and Roman slid a ring on his right ring finger.

The band was beautiful, encased in many tiny blue gems with a gold filigree surrounding it.

Roman rested her forehead on his, breathing in deeply. Her eyes fluttered shut, and her face was serene. “You are the most magnificent person in the world.”

“I think we’re going to have to disagree there, honey, because you are the bestest, most magnificent person in the world!”

“Well, _I_ think that you’re the most beautiful, kindest, wonderful-est person in the universe!”

“Well, I-”

A large boom startled them from their compliment contest, and they looked up to see fireworks blooming in the night sky.

The sky was alight with flowers of fire. Roman’s eyes lit up, and she rummaged in the car to look for something.

She made a noise of triumph pulling two blankets out from the car. Draping one blanket on top of the hood of the car, she gestured for Patton to hop on with her.

Hesitating, Patton sat on the blanketed hood, staring at the bright, exploding lights. Roman pulled him flush against her body, letting him rest her head on top of his.

The two sat, watching the exploding lights entwined with each other and enjoying the other’s presence.

* * *

 

“How did it go?”

“Worked like a charm. Good job, Virgil. I didn’t know if those two idiots would ever get together without our help.”

“Well, Diana, I do this for a living.”

“Get idiots together?”

“I got myself a fiance, didn’t I?”

“Did you really?”

There was a pause.

“...No.”

“I rest my case.”

“Why am I friends with you?”

“You’re the one who came to me, begging me for help to get Patton and Roman together.”

“That’s a bold-faced lie, and I regret everything in my life.”

“Even Logan?” Her voice was sly.

“...Mostly everything in my life.”

“Now how about we scheme how to get yourself a fiance?”

“I feel like I made a mistake.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, hello!  
> This is for @purplepatton for the Secret Sanders Exchange on tumblr, hosted by @spectralheartt! They asked for fake dating, adopting a pet, sickfic, and Christmas shopping. I hope you enjoyed it! Happy Holidays. (Also crossposted on my tumblr, @redrubysparks)  
> Goodbye, bye, bye!


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